A Review by Wendy
4 Enigmatic, Secretive,
Soaring, Wanted Stars * * * *
Picture yourself in a deluxe movie theater.
You are primed and wanting for the film to start.
Some of the viewers are real fans of the last films of this director.
Some are people are familiar with the work from reviews and articles but haven’t experienced them personally.
That was me… I had an awareness of J. Kenner and the Stark series; had read reviews and knew of loyal fans. I was considering diving in and reading all of the books, just hadn’t gotten to them yet.
I then had the opportunity to read Wanted. I liked the blurb… the concept struck a chord. I realized it was by J. Kenner and I was finally going to experience what others had been talking about.
So back to that moving theater thing…
I really got that type of feeling this story was told not by all of the dialogue and actual doing but by observing everything… taking it all in. I was able to appreciate all of it more when I thought this way about what I read.
Kenner put me physically in the locations by giving word pictures. I have never been to Chicago except the airport mid trip. But I have experienced The Drake Hotel, The Willis Tower, The Art Institute and many other world class locations due to the descriptions given. What I appreciated most was they were not in the way of the story to me – like fillers; they were a part of all of it… again like when you absorb things while watching a film…
Now our story and characters… This was interesting… it is told from Angelina’s perspective. This woman comes from an affluent, political, and yes, loving family; however, the dynamics change drastically when her older sister is murdered. Prior to this event, Angelina went by the nickname Lina.
Lina was carefree, a risk taker, art lover, a spirited person trying her wings and learning in a not so careful away how to fly, to be. Part of this behavior was due to her desperate wish to be loved and noticed by her father.
When tragedy struck, Lina decided she would become everything Grace would have been for her father and mother… she would change… she would toe the line; no risks, no soaring or flying… just be the perfect daughter her political family would be proud of.
So she became Angie. Angie did as she was guided by her parents. Angie visited her Uncle Jahn and learned all about great works of art. Angie would study political Science at Northwestern following in the path Grace would have adored. Angie even is dating a man that would have been perfect for Grace, Kevin, an FBI investigator.
But the true person Angelina is; our Lina… has ways of surfacing…. of causing doubts and stress for our girl. Because really in the end…
we are who we are; and we need what we need.
Which brings me to where we meet all of the players….
Uncle Jahn has died. Angie is devastated and at 23 feels alone. She has grown into a beauty and has been working with his art foundation, living in his penthouse condo and caring for him; she feels lost. He was her confidant; her anchor; he was the only one who knew the real her.
There is one other, though she feels drawn to… Evan Black.
He is her desire, love and total focus. This has been going on since she was 16. She met Evan with Cole and Tyler through Jahn’s art camp seminars and would see them every summer until she went away to college. Her first meeting with Evan rocked her to her core and never left. She would remember every interaction; every look or awkward experience; filing it away to think about, obsess about over and over; knowing there was no hope of him taking her away like the knights in the fairytales did… as that was not for her… she didn’t deserve that… Grace would.
And who was Evan Black… well, that question is something we ask quite a bit throughout the book.
He is strong, with hair that is just enough to fall around him almost like a lion’s mane, with a commanding presence and magnetism which draws all eyes on him. He has the undercurrent of an electrical charge he turns on and off depending on who he interacts with… all with a smoothness acquired by years of experience. At 28, he has risen to the top of the business community with his partners Cole and Tyler. He has a bio which tells an acceptable story to show his rise yet he has the FBI interested in him and his dealings.
What happens going forward from this set up for me was two people hiding who they were; wearing many different faces; and only being who they truly were meant to be with each other. Evan saw through all of the walls and pretense Angie up …… bringing out her true self, Lina. Angie/Lina opened Evan to feel; to make decisions and put himself on a different life path… all due to the awakening and willingness to finally be with the woman he has always wanted.
Now there was, of course, sex… and some very….. very hot moments. I can say I wouldn’t mind being Evan’s love interest at all…. No, not at all… if fact if he is listening… I happen to have the whipped cream right here…
So what is Wanted… It’s all of the above and a story of intrigue, buddies and friends which will continue. This is not a cliffy yet we will follow Cole and Tyler in the next books.
I left my personal movie theater experience with J. Kenner and with a couple of thoughts. I felt over all this experience was a good one. I appreciated the writing, the attention to little things but not making them into distracting big things. I did feel there was a lot done in the last section of the story to make it feel rushed but over all, it was a positive introduction to an accomplished author.
I will be keeping my eye out for Heat and will get my movie popcorn ready.
Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review… the only type I do :D
About this Author
J. Kenner spent more than ten years as a litigator in Southern California and Central Texas, using her rare free time to indulge her passion for writing. California born, she now lives—and writes—in Texas, with her husband and daughters.
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